Fire incidents on Diwali night this year fell by more than 50 percent compared to last year, according to the London Fire Brigade.
Diwali’s biggest days in October 2025 saw only 39 incidents of fire compared to the 84 incidents recorded in 2024, according to the latest incident reports.
The likely cause of the reduction was Storm Babet, which passed through London, bringing 70mph winds and heavy rains. The Met office had warned of flooding and disruption to transport.
Many of London’s boroughs most at risk of fire had also put in precautionary measures against the fireworks set off around Diwali.
The Harrow Council Harrow, which saw the highest incident of fires last year, had announced that it was “cracking down on fireworks and noise nuisance” with nightly enforcement patrols and a dedicated hotline for reporting ‘anti-social’ behaviour.
“Loud bangs and noises can cause distress and affect the quality of life for some residents and pets,” said Councillor Pritesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets and Public Protection. “Last year we saw fireworks let off dangerously on our streets which is completely irresponsible and unacceptable.”
Newham Council, which had the second highest fire incidents, had also issued a warning urging residents to be “responsible when using fireworks.”
“If you are planning an event, please take a moment to warn your neighbours,” said the local council.
Despite claims by The Standard that London was turning into the ‘Wild West’, the numbers of fire incidents around Diwali has been steadily declining, from more than 600 incidents in 2010 to around 300-400 in recent years.
The hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed on social media. As X user Dr Poornima drily notes: “Firecrackers are very strange things. When they burst When they burst on New Years in USA, UK, Australia and Dubai, they don’t cause any noise or air pollution. But when they burst on Diwali, they cause pollution.”